Staff paid a measly $4 an hour

It has been revealed that Taiwanese company Chia Tung Development Corp have been breaching several Fair Work Acts for temporary visa holders. 43 staff, largely from the Philippines were exploited as they undertook work as welders, metal fabricators and electricians in regional NSW. The workers received as little as $4 an hour.

Not only was the pay grossly under the award wage entitlements, workers received none of the full time entitlements as listed in the Fair Work Act Legislation. Over time, weekend and public holiday rates did not apply to the workers. Wages of over $62,000 are owing for two Filipino workers.

Director Michael Chen-Fa Lin clearly had no consideration for the wellbeing of his workers with many treated like dogs and doing 9-11 hour days. Much like the treatment of asylum seekers on Christmas Island, they were lumped into an overcrowded shared house.

This issue has come under great media attention after Four Corners and Fairfax media revealed that many workers from 7-Eleven were heavily exploited. Workers were taught how to falsify the payroll and manipulate records. One worker Pranay Alawala was given the false promise of training for a 40 hour week that would lead to a job. He never ended up getting paid for the training and never got the job. To make matters worse, one store also owes him more than $30,000.

Deteriorating workplace standards calls for greater attention to tarnish the reputation and close down companies participating in illegal activities.